Sheffield campaign groups will protest today against new migration laws
Sheffield campaign groups are holding a protest this evening against the Government's new Illegal Migration Bill.
Activists from Stand up to Racism and Take the Knee will gather in front of the Town Hall at 5.30pm to challenge the bill, which will be read in Parliament today.
The Illegal Migration Bill means anyone who comes to the UK illegally will be unable to claim asylum, access modern slavery protections, or stay in the country.
Yasmin Plews, co-founder of Take the Knee, said: "It is important to challenge these laws, as they are being put through parliament without informing the nation as to how they will plunge thousands of vulnerable people who have escaped war and torture into danger and in some cases, death."
The government has already found itself in hot water following its announcement of the controversial Migration and Economic Development Partnership, in which Britain agreed a deal to send tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Ms Plews said that, if passed, the new bill would mean that refugees seeking asylum will have the internationally recognised human right to travel safely to Britain taken away from them.
She added: "It has already caused far right groups to harass and bully refugees staying in horrible conditions in hotels across the country."
Groups such as Stand up to Racism and Care4Calais are pushing for a Safe Passage amendment, which would create a visa for safe travel for refugees who have viable asylum claims.
They believe such an amendment would stop people from getting into small boats and risking their lives, get rid of people smugglers’ profits, and keep the UK compliant with its international obligations.
Ms Plews said: "This bill is further proof that this government wants to whip up racist division to scapegoat refugees and immigrants."
Stand up to Racism has also organised another protest this evening in Parliament Square, London, and campaigners across the UK are hoping to spread their messages that refugees are welcome in the UK and that the Government's policies do not represent them.
Police issue plea for dashcam footage of reported shooting of teenager
South Yorkshire Police have issued a fresh plea for drivers and cyclists to check their dashcam footage after a 15-year-old boy was shot earlier this month.
Officers were called to Teynham Road in the Shirecliffe area of Sheffield at 7.13pm on Wednesday 8 March following reports of a shooting.
A 15-year-old boy was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, and was discharged later in March.
Detective Inspector Chris Ronayne from the Armed Crime Team said: “Incidents such as this quite rightly cause concern within our communities and over the last three weeks we have been working hard to understand the circumstances surrounding the shooting."
As the investigation continues, officers have asked drivers and cyclists who may have been in the area at the time to check their dashcam footage for any potential evidence.
DI Ronayne said: “As part of this, we are reiterating our appeal to motorists who may have been travelling through the local area around the time of the shooting.
“If you were travelling on Herries Road between Norwood Avenue and Teynham Road, or Penrith Road and Longley Avenue West, between 7-7.30pm on Wednesday 8 March I’d urge you to check your dashcam footage to see if you have captured anything that might be useful to our investigation.”
Any footage should be submitted to enquiries@southyorks.pnn.police.uk, quoting incident number 886 of 8 March 2023, or by contacting the police via the live chat portal.
Homeless charity The Sunday Centre appeals for donations amid mounting cost of living crisis
A homeless shelter in Sheffield has appealed for donations after the cost of living crisis is continuing to put a strain on the rising need for its services.
The Sunday Shelter, who operate out of Victoria Hall Methodist Church in the city centre, are the only service available in the city to the homeless and vulnerable on a Sunday.
Volunteer Lucy Fox, 27, of Sheffield, said: “Since the cost of living, we’ve seen a huge rise in people coming to us for basic needs with average guests rising from 60 to 110 every week. The guests are coming to us in worse condition including soiled and no clothing.
“But with the increased demand has come increased costs from food to rent. We’ve really had to double down and make sacrifices to keep the service running, so this fundraiser is a lifeline.”
The fundraiser has been set up by Liz Grasso in conjunction with the Aviva Community Fund. The charity is aiming to raise £4,000 by 27 April which will be matched by Aviva.
The donations raised will go towards buying food for meals, clothes and essential toiletries. The organisation also accepts direct donations via its Paypal account or through clothing, but these must be practical like warm coats.
Ms Fox added: “I started volunteering as a student and never left because it’s such a wonderful community and I’ve got so much out of the project.
“If everyone could just donate what they can - even if it’s just £1 - it’ll really help us to reach our target and continue to make a difference to those that need us in the city. If someone leaves us feeling that little bit better then it’s a success.”
The crowdfunder comes after a report from Shelter has revealed the highest rise in homelessness in ten years, with the organisation criticising the Chancellor for his lack of support for struggling families.
In the last ten years, homelessness has increased by 74% with almost 100,000 households only living in temporary accommodation.
Despite this, the recent Budget has been criticised for freezing the housing benefit at 2020 levels and ignoring the crisis of rough sleeping.
Chief Executive of Shelter, Polly Neate, said: “The Chancellor could have put an end to homelessness, but instead he’s stuck his head in the sand.
“A massive growth in homelessness is surely not the type of growth the government wants, so why is it ignoring the crisis?”
Despite there being a number of homeless charities across Sheffield, The Sunday Centre is a key resource to people on a weekend by offering a warm and safe space for people to have a hot meal, pick up fresh toiletries and have access to clean clothes including underwear, but has had to start the fundraising campaign to secure its future.
This is especially necessary as the charity runs on donations from the public and community grants, but can’t keep relying on successful applications especially as the competition for funding has grown.
Ms Fox said: “Homelessness is not an issue that only runs Monday to Friday from 9 to 5, so when most services are closed on a Sunday, it can have a devastating effect on those left hungry and on the streets.
“Sunday can be a long day to go without any food.”
The Sunday Centre also stresses the importance of putting its guests first to ensure they don't feel judged.
To do this, the charity doesn't force anyone to engage in a service, and it’s fine for people to simply eat their meal and leave if they prefer. They also don’t require guests to fill out a registration form, so everything is kept private with no questions asked.
Ms Fox said: “A lot of our guests aren’t used to having choices in their lives. So even just having us here on a Sunday where they can pick what flavour tea they want and how many sugars gives them some control in their lives when they don’t always have that option.
“The people we meet are all so lovely and it’s really important that they’re comfortable when visiting us and can come and go without any pressure. Just because someone is on the streets doesn’t mean they should be treated in a demeaning way - they’re people too.”
To donate to the Aviva fundraiser visit the link here
To find out about other ways to donate visit The Sunday Centre website here
To volunteer or learn more about the support offered by the charity contact them here
City centre park to open in time for Easter holidays
Pound's Park is set to open in Sheffield City Centre in time for the Easter school holidays.
The playground, which includes two large pyramid towers, will open on 3 April.
Named after Sheffield’s first Chief Fire Officer, Superintendent John Charles Pound, the park is located on the former fire station site between Rockingham Street, Wellington Street and Carver Street.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Co-Chair of Sheffield City Council's Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “This is such an important asset to the city centre and, although there is still some work to be completed over the coming weeks, we are really keen to see Sheffield’s community start to benefit from it right away.
"The Council is investing in truly unique and high-quality public spaces across the city centre, bringing The Outdoor City ethos right into the heart of Sheffield. Pound’s Park builds on the success of the Peace Gardens, the Grey-to-Green scheme in Castlegate and the work now beginning on Fargate. We are reinventing what city centres of the future can be."
Part of Heart of the City, the £480m regeneration scheme led by Sheffield City Council and their Strategic Development Partner Queensberry, Pound’s Park is flanked by a number of evolving Heart of the City construction sites
The tallest of the pyramid towers stands at 11 metres, with the playground also containing stainless steel slides, climbing structures, playhouses, a seesaw, wheelchair-accessible play equipment and more.
Cllr Iqbal said: "“Creating these spaces is not only about giving people free and attractive places to enjoy and relax in, it helps reduce vehicle congestion and emissions in the city centre, as well as creating an attractive environment that will see us attract new residents, businesses and retail and leisure brands into the city centre – driving more footfall and helping the city centre thrive for decades to come.”
Whilst most of the park will open in early April, some utilities and facilities are due to be completed later in the month.
The power and water connectivity for the new accessible public toilets and water play features will come later, but the Council has made, meanwhile, arrangements for evening lighting and CCTV.
Once the park is fully complete there will be a dedicated ceremony to formally name the new space Pound’s Park.
Sheffield City Council unveils pandemic memorial alongside moving COVID-19 tributes
A memorial the shape of a willow tree was unveiled next to Sheffield City Hall on Thursday, built in honour of those who died over the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who attended paid emotional tributes to key workers and loved ones.
Leader of Sheffield City Council Terry Fox and the Lord Mayor were among those tying embroidered ribbons to the steel willow tree in its opening ceremony.
Lord Mayor Sioned-Mair Richards said: “Sheffield was remarkable. We’ve been badly bruised by losing so many of our relations and friends, but we have come through.”
Sabia Rehman, a Muslim chaplain and bereavement support worker, was one of the speakers at the ceremony. As part of her role, she helped family members say goodbye to loved ones in hospital over the phone.
She said: “I remember leaving that room and going off into the staff room. We cried and we cried, because what we felt for the families I cannot explain.”
Craig Allsop, 35, from Gleadless, was invited to be on the selection panel for the memorial’s design after losing his mother to COVID-19.
He said: “As many people will tell you who have suffered loss, the need to give back and help others can be overwhelming.
“I hope it will be seen as much more than a monument to lives lost, but also as hope for the future, and an appreciation for all those who kept the city and country moving.”
The memorial was designed by architect George King. Stainless steel branches twist together into a central trunk to symbolise the community’s strength, and the canopy forms a sheltered space for people to walk through and leave tributes.
Mr King said although time has passed since the height of the pandemic, there is still a need to reflect.
He said: “I think everyone’s instinct is to try and block it out, and pretend it never happened. I find myself doing that as well.
“There’s a lot of people who can’t move on from it, and that’s why it's important that there’s a space like this; they can come to remember and to live through other people’s experiences through the messages on the ribbons.”
The statue’s unveiling coincided with the third anniversary of our first lockdown, and the National Day of Reflection. The remembrance day was advocated for by palliative care charity Marie Curie to encourage the nation to reflect on pandemic death.
The Lord Mayor dedicated her ribbon to the city’s key workers, while Coun Terry Fox tied his in memory of the late Labour councillor Pat Midgley, who died at the start of the pandemic.
He said: “It was really emotional. Seeing my words honouring Pat written out really hit me."
“This is a wonderful sculpture, made of stainless steel, by a firm in Sheffield. What could be better than being here to reflect on how the city came together in those really hard times?”
The statue comes as part of the council’s wider strategy to memorialise the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, grants of £2000 were made available for community groups and local organisations to hold their own remembrance activities.
The council also partnered with Compassionate Sheffield and local social enterprise Opus to hold an exhibition showcasing how people across the city experienced the pandemic.
Mr King said the willow tree has space for around 300 embroidered ribbons to be tied to it and could accommodate other themes of remembrance in future.
Morning Briefing: Stories to come throughout the day
Better Buses for South Yorkshire
After the Better Buses for Yorkshire rally took place last week, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and Councillors met to discuss the future of bus ownership. Listen out for this one today on radio.
CAZ protest
A protest was held against Sheffield's Clean Air Zone on Saturday 25 march. Our reporter, Laurence Griffin, was there to see what it was all about.
Sheffield Half Marathon
The Sheffield half-marathon was held yesterday, Sunday 26 March. Keep an eye and an ear on our half-hourly radio bulletins and TV coverage later in the day for stories from the event.
Sheffield United fans’ Wembley ecstasy overshadowed by financial woes
Sheffield United fans have reacted to their win over 3-2 over Blackburn Rovers which sends the Blades to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-finals against Manchester City.
The Blades were looking to be crashing out of the FA Cup, with goals from Rovers' Ben Brereton Diaz and Sam Szmodics which came at either side of an own goal by Sam Gallagher.
A late goal from Tommy Doyle however, crushed Blackburn's chances of advancing in the competition, with Doyle's 91st minute screamer booking Sheffield United a well deserved place in the semi-finals.
The Sheffield side will be without both Tommy Doyle and James McActee for the semi-final, with both of them being on loan from Manchester City, but the success of reaching the semi-finals has created a buzz in the Steel City.
However, the Blades are facing some financial problems as they have been placed under a transfer embargo after defaulting on payments for players.
Dozy Mmobuosi, a Nigerian businessman is trying to buy the club but questions have been raised over his finances. Now, according to the Mail, the Blades are on the brink of going into administration.
This would lead to a 12 point deduction, which would be a huge blow to their chances of going up.
United's CEO Stephen Bettis has said these reports are not true.
Sheffield Wire spoke to Blades' fans to see if the financial problems overshadowed the FA Cup triumph.
Theatre Deli reopens with new Sheffield venue
Much-loved Theatre Deli officially reopened with a new Sheffield venue today, offering a space to emerging artists in the city.
On Arley Street, its new home is within a specially refurbished office building consisting of three rehearsal studios, a performance space with a capacity of 100, and a bar and café.
Producer Miranda Debenham said: “It's so important for there to be small scale, accessible spaces for theatre outside of London.
“London has quite a large number of venues like Theatre Deli, where people who are early in their careers or who are just making work that is not suitable for the Crucible or the Lyceum spaces to be able to put their work on somewhere and also to be able to rehearse somewhere that is affordable and accessible to them.”
The refurbishment of the venue has been funded via a grant and a loan from the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund.
Daljinder Singh, Executive Producer for Theatre Deli, said: “We are delighted to be opening our new venue to audiences soon. Throughout its existence Deli has been an important partner for artists looking for support, space and the room to innovate and create.
“Our journey of discovering and repurposing disused spaces now takes us to Arley Street. In the coming months we look forward to welcoming artists, companies, and community change makers through our doors and into our spaces.
“Theatre Deli Sheffield is an integral part of our region's cultural landscape and we are excited to converse and collaborate with our brilliant creative community. We look forward to seeing you soon.“
Tickets for MAD(E) by Mandala Theatre from 21st- 25th March 2023 will be available to purchase from www.theatredeli.co.uk
New KFC billboard receives mixed response from Sheffield public
Sheffield residents have given their thoughts on the new KFC billboard, with one woman describing the new advertisement as "ugly".
The billboard, which is impossible to miss, can be seen at the Castle Square tram stop.
One woman took issue with the message of the advertisement.
She said: "It's promoting fast food which isn't necessarily healthy.
"I think it would look better if it was a nice salad."
However, one Sheffield resident was more optimistic about the hoarding's introduction, arguing that it will add colour to the city.
He said: "It brightens it up around Castle Square, I must admit.
"It's just a focal point rather than looking at empty buildings.
"So that can only be a good thing."
Nevertheless, some of the public were scathing of the sign's introduction. One elderly resident was biting in her criticism.
She said: "I think it just looks ugly."
“We let people’s bodies and minds wear out”: The dilemmas of an ageing population
An ageing population and a declining birth rate have led to mounting pressure on support services to help our older generations.
Experts have voiced their concern over a lack of investment into the prevention of health issues associated with age, including dementia and coronary heart disease.
Dr Alan Walker, a Professor of Social Policy and Social Gerontology at the University of Sheffield, said: "We let people's bodies and minds wear out on the basis of previous assumptions that we could just get rid of them.”
What are the concerns of ageing populations and what are the consequences?
As countries become more prosperous, the number of children being born declines, narrowing the gap between births and deaths.
This is due to women having children later in life, concentrating on careers, and a decrease in child mortality.
New data from the National Records of Scotland (NRS), for instance, revealed in 2022 there were nearly three deaths for every two births in the country.
Julie Ramsay, the Vital Events Statistician at NRS, said: "Having fewer births than deaths in a population is referred to as ‘negative natural change’ meaning that without external factors such as migration, the population will fall.”
This is nothing new, Western countries have been battling this trend for several decades, with projections from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggesting it will carry on. This could mean the UK will see its population consistently decline as it has in countries throughout Europe such as Portugal, Italy, and Poland.
Dr Walker said: “As countries develop, and become more prosperous, the birth rates always decline, and that's happening globally —it´s not something that suddenly happened.”
As birth rates decline, and people live longer, with life expectancy showing no signs of reaching a plateau, the median age of the population continues to increase. In the UK, this change is projected to bring the median age to 44.5 years by 2050, up from 37.6 in 2000.
As this happens, economists believe social support services, such as pensions, will face further pressures due to having fewer young people filling vacant roles in the labour market and contributing via taxes.
With less support, older people will continue to become even more susceptible to health conditions associated with old age, leading to those who have jobs taking on caring responsibilities.
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: “Every year many thousands of women and men of working age have to ditch their jobs to care for loved ones, in the absence of a good, reliable, and affordable care service being available."
Furthermore, this problem characteristically worsens when comparing deprived areas to more affluent ones. In Sheffield, the disparity in life expectancy can differ by 10 years, for both men and women, depending on where they live.
Could immigration rejuvenate the labour market?
On average, those immigrating to the UK tend to be aged between 18 and 29-years-old. For this reason, the upscaling of immigration has long been suggested as a way of rejuvenating the labour market.
Immigration is already an important factor in the maintenance of population growth. ONS data projects around 2.2 million arrivals over the next 10 years alone.
However, political disagreements surrounding policies relating to looser immigration policies make this an unreliable factor to consider.
Investing in old age as an alternative
Various possible solutions have been put forward by experts on how to solve the problems of an ageing population.
One option, which has been adopted by countries such as Belgium, is encouraging families to have children earlier in their lives, increasing the likelihood that they would continue to expand the size of their family.
This, however, seems to have failed to have been taken up.
Dr Walker explained: “There's no alternative on the childbirth front, every attempt to try to increase birth rates has largely failed and or hasn't been in sufficient numbers to make any significant difference.”
Instead, he suggests that the trend of an ageing population should be accepted and more focus should be put into making sure that people are able to remain productive as life expectancy continues to increase.
“There’s a change in the labour market, because an ageing society means an ageing workforce, and, therefore future productivity depends to a huge extent on making sure that, as workers age, they remain productive," said Dr Walker.
"What matters is how far our society invests in its workforce and how far it invests in machinery to increase productivity.”
Experts across the country have continued to call for 'healthy life expectancy' to be adopted as a driving mentality for this change in the labour market. This refers to the fact that, despite people living longer, the amount of time they are healthy for does not necessarily improve, even worsening depending on location.
Dr Walker said: “There's almost an acceptance by policymakers that because people are old then they're going to get conditions, such as dementia and coronary heart disease, so they don't do anything to prevent them.
“On the basis of science, all of them are preventable through very basic things like diets, and exercise.”
Barnsley boss hopeful to end the Owls unbeaten league run
Sheffield Wednesday travel to Oakwell this Tuesday to face Barnsley in the South-Yorkshire derby, with Barnsley manager Michael Duff hopeful they can end the Owls unbeaten streak in the League.
The Owls currently sit at the top of League One, one point above Plymouth Argyle with two games in hand. Wednesday will enter the game coming off the back of a 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers last week. The draw extends their unbeaten league run to an impressive 23 games, but they will be looking to regain their winning streak.
Barnsley last game was a victory away at Wycombe Wanderers, with Slobodan Tedic scoring a late minute winner. The Tykes were relegated from the Championship last season, and sit at fourth place in the table, well in with a chance of promotion. They also have two games in hand on second place Plymouth Argyle and third place Ipswich Town, so a chance to climb up the table is certainly within reach.
Like the Owls, the Tykes are also on an unbeaten league run, having not lost since the middle of January so both teams are entering the clash in fantastic form.
Barnsley manager Michael Duff said: "To go half a season unbeaten, I know the significance, it's an unbelievable achievement. Hopefully we can end it.
"They're the games they want to play in. You can make yourself a hero and write yourself in folklore in certain parts of the country."
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Will Vaulks said the game against Barnsley is "a huge one" and "vital" for Wednesday's title challenge.
He added: "We want to go there and give them one back but at the end of the day it’s only about the three points to try and push us closer to that goal of promotion."
The last clash between the Owls and the Tykes saw Barnsley emerge victorious at Hillsborough, with goals coming from Devante Cole and James Norwood.
For Barnsley, Cole will be pushing to make the starting XI, with Norwood expected to operate in his usual position at centre forward.
As for Wednesday, Gregory may maintain his position alongside Josh Windass, with Barry Bannan operating central midfield alongside Fiasyo Dele-Bashiru and Will Vaulks.
Wednesday could be missing midfielder George Byers, who also missed the clash against Bolton last Saturday. The Owls boss Darren Moore said Byers would be "50/50" for the game on Tuesday.
The game is at Barnsley's Oakwell Stadium on the 21 March and kicks off at 8pm.
Campaigners aim to save Hillsborough Park multi-use games area
A petition calling for the council to scrap development plans for Hillsborough Park has reached nearly one thousand signatures, ahead of tomorrow's decision.
Sheffield City Council will decide tomorrow whether to confirm proposed changes to the park. This includes building a new activity hub with a café, new tennis courts and a new paddle tennis court, but will drastically reduce the size of the "multi-use games area" (MUGA).
The MUGA is a large area of flat concrete ground inside the park, which provides a freely accessible, floodlit area for activities, games and exercise.
Andy Chaplin, Friends of Hillsborough Park's treasurer, said the petition shows the level of local support for having a bigger MUGA that is free to use.
He said: “It's always been fairly well used for casual play for kids who come out after school or at weekends or during school holidays. The proposal is going to make a much smaller MUGA, and it may or may not be available all the time.”
Discussions over the project have been taking place since 2020, with income from the council's proposed 'hub' expected to help fund tennis projects across Sheffield.
Christine Gilligan Kubo, Hillsborough ward councillor, said: “Lawn Tennis Association want to promote tennis in the area across Sheffield. They were looking for a hub that could be the centre piece, so that they could go out and do outreach activities - and Hillsborough Park was identified."
Cllr Kubo explained that the Lawn Tennis Association will support the chosen development operator with a twenty-five-year maintenance arrangement.
Mr Chaplin says he has no problem with tennis across the city looking to find new funding, but doesn’t want the size of the MUGA to shrink.
He said: “We believe they've picked the wrong location, because actually what they're doing is building on something which is currently well used by people that were there already.”
One of the main users of the space is Sheffield Cycling 4 All (SC4A), who offer inclusive cycling sessions for those with disabilities and long term health conditions.
SC4A have been using the site for 15 years, and whilst they are supportive of the Council, do not want the size of the MUGA to be reduced.
Project coordinator Rosemary Hill said: “The site that we need to operate is about a third of the MUGA size. So we would need to have sole use of the MUGA and then that would affect all the other casual users.”
“The main reason we are not supporting the development is that we think there's going to be some conflict between our cyclists and the existing park users.
"It's a disadvantage to our cyclists because it's sort of moving us away from a safe visible open area.”
Cllr Kubo said she hopes the decision made at tomorrows Charity Trustee Sub Committee meeting will protect the services provided by SC4A.
She said: “I’m hoping there will be an agreement that they can use this space because we desperately do not want it to affect the provision that cycling for all provides for their service users. It's really important we keep that.”